Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82186 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“We’ll replace it,” Sam groused at her, “and—wait, if the phone is dead, how are you talking to me? And more importantly, how did I see your location on mine?”
“Oh, that’s because I’m using the thing Uncle Aaron made me.”
“What?”
“Uncle Aaron made me this earpiece that looks like a supercute rose pin, but the middle pops out, and I put it in my ear. It’s hooked up to the Sutter satellite—you know, the one in space—and it sends my location to you and Pa and Uncle Aaron and George so you guys can always find me.”
I was silent. So was Sam.
“Guys?” She was checking on us.
“You’re kidding,” Sam muttered to his daughter.
“No. I took it off and put it in my ear and told it to call you.”
He took a breath. “Let me understand this. Aaron Sutter has you wearing a pin that turns into an earpiece you can use as a phone and a GPS?”
“Well, technically George makes me wear it, but yes. Uncle Aaron made it for me.”
“And he insisted you wear this.”
“Again, George insisted when he gave it to me and said if I didn’t wear it every time I left the house after that incident on my birthday, he’d never forgive me, and he wouldn’t be my friend or my bodyguard anymore.”
“And that worked?”
“Obviously. I mean, it’s George. I must know what he’s doing. Steering that man through the pitfalls of his current relationship is exhausting.”
“What pitfalls?” I asked before I thought about it.
“Okay, listen, here’s what he thought would be good to do for Valentine’s Day,” she began, and I could almost hear her rolling her eyes. “He thought––”
“No, no, no,” Sam snapped, pointing at me. “The two of you are going to give me a goddamn heart attack!”
I met his gaze. “You realize that without Aaron Sutter having these things made for your child she––”
“I know,” he growled at me.
“You have to take back all the things you’ve ever said about him.”
He grunted.
“He’s amazing.”
“Yes,” he barely got out.
“Maybe tell him next time you see him.”
Second grunt. “So.” Sam clipped the word. “What’s going on now?”
“I am across the stupid—yes!” she announced happily. “I am now across from the office, on a landing, and there’s an open door about four flights down.”
“Four flights!” Sam yelled. “That is a long way to fall!”
“Yes, but my balance is pretty good when I’m not being yelled at,” she patronized him. “Now all I have to do is get my ASP Baton out of my boot and—okay, here we go.”
We heard what had to be metal stairs under her feet.
“You have an ASP Baton?” I asked her.
“Yeah. George got me a Talon Infinity 50cm after he trained me.”
I glanced over at Sam.
“They certainly have done a good job watching out for her and arming her,” Sam told me, and I saw his scowl, but there was hurt there as well.
“Uncle Aaron and George do a great job,” she agreed with her father. “But you’re the one who started me on this road, Dad, and if I wasn’t talking to you right now, I’d be freaking out.”
Oh, she knew her father well, the words he needed, the love. I’d have to squeeze her when she got home.
“I’m not doing anything,” he mumbled, sounding a bit morose.
“You always keep me from losing it. If I can hear your voice, I know everything will be fine. I just need to be calm.”
“That’s right,” he agreed, all puffed up, his daughter restoring him with her simple words. He was her father; no one could ever take his place. “Now what’s happening?”
“I’m almost—oh! Could you guys call the police so I don’t have to hang up on you?”
“I took care of that already,” Sam told her. “I texted the office, and they should be there.”
“I don’t see any—Ian!” she squealed. “Daddy, I see Ian!”
Sam collapsed onto his recliner then, head back, eyes closed, and I saw the shaking. He’d been holding it together for his kid, but now that she was safe, he could show how scared he was.
“Hey, guys, Ian wants to talk to you, so I’m to let you go,” she informed us before she hung up.
Moments later, Sam leaned forward and answered his phone, putting it on speaker. “Doyle?”
“Boss,” Ian Doyle addressed Sam. “I have three guys in custody, and I have your minivan parked at the other end of the lot here. What do you want done?”
“I don’t want those guys knowing who Hannah is, for starters.”
“Of course.”
“Have the cops take them to the police station. You take Hannah there yourself and stay with her until I get there.”
“Will do. I’ll let you talk to your daughter. Hold on one sec, she’s showing a couple of the guys her baton and—crap.”
“Crap?” Sam asked him.
“It’s fine, it’s—Pazzi, you piece of—why would you try and take the baton?” Ian yelled.